Aerator screen



Nov. 27, 1956 o. w. HOLDEN AERATOR SCREEN Filed Jan. 5, 1954 26 Urloff 7121407 ,5

INVENTOR.

United States Patent 9 AERATOR SCREEN Orloii W. Holden, Chicago, 111., assignor to Orlolf W. Holden and Marguerite H. Holden, a partnership doing business as Knickerbocker Rubber Company, Not Inc., Chicago, Ill.

Application January 5, 1954, Serial No. 402,237

3 Claims. (Cl. 210-84) This invention relates to devices for aerating pressurized liquids, and more particularly to aerating devices of the type adapted to be supported by a water faucet to transform liquid emerging from the faucet into a soft coherent stream that is not subject to splashing when it impinges upon hard objects.

Some aerating devices of the type referred to above comprise a cylindrical casing made of resilient material such as rubber. The casing has an inlet at one end which is adapted to be connected to a water faucet or the like, and the aerator includes appropriate means supported within the casing for breaking up the stream of Water from the faucet into a spray of fine particles. The resilient casing also has an outlet end which incorporates appropriate overlying screens for diffusing the spray formed in the casing. A mixing chamber is formed in the casing between the spray forming means and the diffuser screens, and the casing has apertures extending therethrough for the entry of air into the mixing chamber.

With the above construction, the pressurized fluid from the faucet is transformed within the casing to a fine spray which draws air through the openings in the mixing chamber. As the spray engages the difliuser screens at the outlet end of the casing, air bubbles are entrained and thoroughly mixed with the fluid so that a soft aerated stream of water emerges from the device.

It has been the usual practice in the art for the overlying diifuser screens referred to above to be in the form of screen discs supported in a holder in the outlet of the device and separated one from the other by metal rings. Normally, however, these screen discs have jagged edges and small projecting wires from these edges have a tendency to bend when the discs are inserted in the holder and permanent damage occurs when it is attempted mechanically to clamp the discs in place. Moreover, due to the irregular and jagged edges of the discs, it is sometimes necessary to force them into the holder manually which slows up the manufacturing process and often causes distortion of the discs.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a difiuser screen system for an aerator device which is so constructed that the manufacturing difiiculties referred to above are completely obviated.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an improved diffuser screen system which incorporates a series of difiuser screens and which is constructed so that the screens may be rapidly and conveniently assembled with a minimum of work stoppage or time consuming operations.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an improved diffuser screen system in which the diffuser screens are constructed so that the body portions thereof may be separated a desired amount for eflicient diffuser action without the need for separate elements such as metallic rings and the like.

A general object of the invention is to provide such an improved difiiuser screen system that can be manufactured expeditiously and which uses a minimum of component parts so that the resulting units may be sold at a relatively low cost as compared with prior art units of this general type.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a diffuser screen system for an aerating device which includes a series of overlying diffuser screens, in which the edges of the screens are folded over to present a smooth periphery to the surface of the holder and to serve as separators for the individual screens in the holders thus obviating the need for ring separators or the like. I

The above and other features of the invention which are believed to be new are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a typical aerating device of the type with which the present invention is concerned and which incorporates the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device of Fig. 1 taken along the lines 2-2;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a diffuser screen normally used in prior art devices;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a diffuser screen constructed in accordance with the invention; 7

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the screen taken along the lines 55 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 indicates in perspective the various steps in the construction of the improved screen for the diffuser system of the invention.

As previously stated, the present invention may be used in a pressurized liquid stream aerating unit of the type having a casing with an inlet and adapted to be mounted on a faucet and outlet and through which the stream emerges. The unit includes a filtering and diffusing device for the stream adapted to be mounted in the outlet end of the casing and, in accordance with the invention, this device includes at least two diffuser screens, means for supporting the screens in the outlet end of the casing with the screens overlying one another and extending across the outlet end, and at least one of the screens having a bent-over peripheral edge facing the other of the screens. smooth peripheries to be presented to the surface of the outlet by the screens and also forms a spacer between the screens to separate the difiuser area or body portion of each without the requirement of a separate spacing ring or other means.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly Figs. 1 and 2, the aerating device includes a unitary casing 10 of resilient material, such as rubber, and which generally is cylindrical in form. The embodiment of the aerator device disclosed is generally similar to that disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 318,182, filed November 1, 1952, now Patent No. 2,741,467, in the name of Lee and Gerberich and assigned to the present assignee. Casing 10 has at one end an inlet portion 11 defined by a re-entrant portion 12 which may be slipped over the end of a water faucet (such as F in Fig. 1) to secure the casing 10 thereon. As previously noted, the casing may be composed of rubber or similar resilient material, and the inturned or re-entrant portion 12 may be of reduced thickness to increase the flexibility and resilience thereof. At the end of casing 10 opposite to the inlet portion 12 is an outlet portion 13, and between the inlet and outlet portions there is a mixing or aerating chamber 14. A plurality of apertures 15 are provided in the casing leading into the mixing chamber 14 so that air may enter into the chamber.

The invention itself, however,

This bent-over peripheral edge causes A spray forming structure 16 is mounted in casing between inlet portion 11 and chamber 14, and structure 16 includes an apertured orifice disc 17 and a hollow open ended frusto-conical splash member 18 supported below the disc. Details of structure 16 arefully described in the copending application referred to previously herein and .a more detailed description thereof in the present specification. is deemed to be unnecessary.

The aerator-also includes a preassembled difiuser unit 21 which is removably supported. in outlet portion 13 of casing lO. Unit 21 is similar in some respects to that disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 318,263, filed November 1,, 1952, now Patent No. 2,730,136, in the name of the present inventor. Briefly, unit 21 has a converging outlet 22 with a rolled over annular portion at its outer end coacting with the rim of outlet portion 13, and this .unit has an annular portion 23 at: its inner end extending radially outwardly into a corresponding groove formed in casing 10. The annular portion 23 of unit 21 defines an internal annular channel and one or more diflFuser screens 26, 27 and 28 are sup.- ported within the annular channel. These screens overlie one another and extend across unit 21. The arrangement is such that diffuser unit 21 can easily be pried from its position in casing 10 for cleaning purposes.

The difiuser screens may comprise, for example, a plurality of discs of metal screen or other suitable material. In the prior art, these diffuser screens usually had the configuration represented by screen 30 of Figure 3, with the screens being separated by metallic rings. As shown in this figure, such screens have jagged peripheral edges and, as previously discussed herein, these edges create problems inthe rapid and efiicient assembly of the screens inthe diffuser. Moreover, such screens require wire ring separators which add unnecessarily to the cost of the unit bent inwardly so that the peripheries of the screensare smooth. The screens, therefore, may be easily inserted in the holder without any danger of damage or distortion. Moreover, merely by inserting the screens in the holder in a certain fashion, the-desired separation of the body por-- tions thereof for efiicient diffuser action can be obtained.

without the need for separate ring spacers. For example,

in Fig. 2, bottom screen 26 and intermediate screen 27 are inserted with their bent-over edges up. so that a desired, separation is achieved between the body portions of these. screens. Top screen 28 is then inserted with its bentover-edge down so that a desired greater separation is achieved between the body portions of screens 27 and 28.

In a constructed embodiment of the invention, by way of example, the diffuser s'creens'were made of .011 wire, which when woven together into a 3030 mesh screen makes an overall thickness of .022". The edges were turned over to have an over-all thickness of the order of. .035" to .040". This provides a separation between screens 26 and 27 of approximately .015", and provides a'separation between screens 27 and 28 of approximately .030".

Fig. 6.shows the simple steps involvedinconstructing the screen utilized in the invention. In-step A in. the peripheral edge of the screen disc is bent at right angles to the plane of the screen by any suitable punching or forming tool. In step B, the up-standing peripheral edge of the screen is'turned down into' the plane of the screen,

4 V to provide the desired smooth peripheral edge and integral. spacer.

The invention provides, therefore, an improved diffuser unit for use in a liquid aerating device in which the diffuser screens are constructed for simple assembly in the unit and so that the required spacing therebetween may be obtained without the need for any separate components that add to the cost of the unit.

While a particular embodiment -of the invention has been shown and described, modifications may be made. and

it is intended in the appended claims to cover allsuch modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope ,ofithe invention.

I claim:

i 1. In a unit throughywhich a liquid stream flows, a filtering and ditfusing device for the stream adapted to be mounted within the unit including in combination, at least two diffuser screens, means for supporting said screens in the unit with said screens overlying one another and each said screen having a body portion extending across the unit, and at least one of said screens having an integral inwardly bent-over outer portion intermediate adjacent screens, said bent-over portion forming a raised spacer on said one of said screens thereby serving ,to separate the body portions of said adjacent screens one from the other and resulting in a relatively smooth peripheral edge free of wire endings.

2. In av liquid stream aerating unit having a casing with an inlet end adapted to be mounted. on a faucet and with an outlet. end through which the stream emerges, a filtering andv diffusing device for the stream adapted to be mounted in. the outlet endof the casing including in having a body portion extending across the outletlend, at

least one of said screens having an integral inwardly bentover outer portion intermediate adjacent screens, said.

bent-over portion forming a raisedspacer .on said one .of said screens thereby serving to separate. the body portions of. said adjacent screens one from "the other and result.- ing in ,a relatively smooth peripheral edge free of wire.

endings.

3. In a liquid. stream aerating device having a casing;

withaninlet endadapted to be mounted on a ,faucet and with an outlet end through which the stream emerges a filteringand diffusing device for the streamadapted to be mounted'in the outlet end. of the casing including in combination, a hollow open-ended frusto-conicalmember having an.annular portion at its large. end extending radially outwardly to define an internal annular. groove, a plurality of disc-shaped ditfuser, screens supported withinsaid an: nul'ar groove, said screens overlying one another and each said screen having a body portion vextendingacross said frusto-conical member, at least oneof said screens.

having an integral inwardly bent-over outer portion intermediate adjacent screens, said bent-over portion forminga raised spacer ring on said one of said screens thereby serving to separate the body portion of said last-named screen from said adjacent one ofsaid screens and resulting in a relatively smooth peripheral edge" free of .wire' ending.

References Cited in the file of this patent Aghnides Dec. 29,1953 

